Spring mat for upholstered articles



Spt. 11, 1928.

1,683,684 J. L. M INERNEY SPRING MAT FOR UPHQLSTERED ARTICLES Filed Feb. 15, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet, '2

Sept. 11, 1928.

v 1,683,684 JVL. M cl NERNEY srnme MAT FOR UPHOI'QST-ERED ARTICLES 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 15, 1926 Sept. 11, 192&

' J. L. M lNERNEY SPRING MAT FOR UPHOLS'I'ERED ARTICLES 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Feb. 15, 1926 Patented Sept. 11, 1928. V

UNITED STATES JAMES L. MACINERNEY, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

SPRING MAT FOR UPHOLSTERED ARTICLE 1S.

Application filed February 15,, 1926. Serial No. 88,236. I

This invention relates tospring mats, and more particularly to structures used as 1nterlor units for varlous articles such as cushions, upholtered furniture, automobile seats and the like.

' In devices of this character, it is deslrable touse a plurality of coiled springs to cover as much as possible of the area of the article in which they are to be used; to enclose each spring in fabric, not only to assist in holding the springs in place but also, by preventing the springs fromv interlocking in use, to eliminate noise and squeaking; to reduce the manufacturing cost as much as possible by the use of a relatively cheapfabric, such as burlap; to finish the mat in a workmanlike manner so as to be easily handled as a unit,

and present a neat appearance; to so conwill be manifest as I proceed with this specification, is the object of the present invent on, which consists in the devices and combinations of devices illustrated, described and more particularly set forth in the appended claims. I I v In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a spring mat embodying my invention, partially broken away at one edge. I

Figures 2 and 3 are perspective views of two of the spring strips of'which the mat composed.

Figure 4 is a transverse, vertical, sectional view, showing a modified form of the strip unit illustrated in Figure 2. p I

Figure 5 is a longitudinal, sectional view through the mat, enlarged, the section being taken in the vertical plane of the dotted line 5 -5 on Figure 1. i V

Figure 6 is a sectional view through the mat, enlarged, the section being taken in;

the verticalplane indicated by the dotted line 6-6 of Figure 1. j i

V Figure 7 isa perspective view, enlarged, of a detail, showing the end of one of the strips rdetached. g

Figure 8 is a diagrammatic plan view of the arrangement of strips forming the mat.

Figures 9 and 10 are also diagrammatic planyiews showing d1fferent. arrangements ot strips to torin a mat of the same size as L119 rnat shown in Figures 1 and 8.

Figure 11 1s a perspective view of a p01 tion ot the mat arranged with a round, instead ot a square, corner. c

Figure 12 1s a plan view of a mat, par tially broken away, showing a modified form. i

l lgure 13 1s a vertical, sectional View, enlarged, oi the modified form shown in Figure 12, the section being taken in the plane of the dotted line 1 313 of Figure 12 -I have chosen to illustrate my invention in a mat adapted for insertion within the upholstery of a cushion seat for furniture, and I have designated the same as a whole by the letter A. I have also found it convenient to illustrate the mat of a type known as x16, that is, a mat enclosing thirty-six springs but, of course, it will be understood that any other sizeor number of springs may be used, as desired. 7

Referring to Figures 1, 2, 3 and 8, it will be seen that the mat is composed of two erid str ps B, B, two side strips 0, C, three interror strips designated as D, D, D, and a fourth interior strip designated as E. Each of the strips is made of suitable fabric, in this instance, burlap l, and is constructed so as to embody a plurality of pockets 2, i each of which is a coiled wire spring 3.

The end strips 13, B, each have six pockets and six springs, but each of the side strips and the interior strips, has four pockets with a spr ng 1n each pocket. Inasmuch as the side strips C, C, and the three interior strips D, D, D, are constructed alike, a. description of one will suifice. 4

Referring, first, however, to the two end strips B, B, it will be seen that they are each constructed by folding the burlap 1 so as to form a top wall 4, a bottom wall 5, and

a longitudinal side wall 6. The top and bots torn walls are suitably spaced apart, as hereinafter stated, to form pockets 2 within, which the springs 3are placed. Thethree walls are joined at the two ends of the strips B by burlap pieces forming the end walls 7, r. suitable intervals, are-relatively narrow part1t1on strlps 8, each partition strip being joined to the top and the bottom walls, 4,

Intermediate the end Walls and at 5, by lines of stitches, and theends 7, 7, being similarly stitched to the top and bottom walls 5, as well as to the side wall 6. This arrangen'ient is more clearly seen in the detail view shown in Figure 7. The springs 3 in this instance are three inches in diameter and six inches long, and when inserted in the pockets 2, are compressed or snubbed soas to be under tension, and the pockets 2 are substantially rectangular in outline and of a size tohold said three inch springs, as clearly shown in Figures 5 to 7, inclusive.

It will be observed that such a strip of spring-enclosing pockets is closed by fabric at its two ends, on one side, and on its top and bottom, but is openat one side.

In practice, I'prefer to make the top and bottom walls of fabric slightly wider than the three inch width of the pocket and to foldover, toward each other, the excess of material'indicatedat 9 and 10.

Theside strips C, C, and the interior strips D, D, D,' are similarly constructed, with the exception that the end walls 7 7, of

I the strip B, are not present in the said side andinterior strips, but in lieu thereof I use a partition strip 11, similar to the. partitions 8, and secured in the same manner. Thus, in addition to these strips being open at one side,the springs are also partially exposed at each end.

The strip E is made of burlap, with the top, bottomand side walls, 4, 5, 6, respectively, with'the partitions 8, and with partitions ll at each end, but with the springs exposed only partially at each end of the strip. It will be seen by reference to Figure 2, that the top wall 4: and the bottom wall 5 are not provided with the narrow excess material 9 andlO, asin the case of the other strips, but are provided with portions 12, 13, respectively, which are joined together at 14 by a line of stitches 15, to form a side wall, thus completely enclosing the springs 3, by top, bottom and two side walls.

'In assembling these strips B, B, C, C, D, D,/D,'and" E, "thus described, to" form the mat A, I arrange them in the form shown by diagrammatic Figure 8. The side walls 6 ofthe endstrips B, B and the side strips C, C, are of course on the outside of the mat, leaving the open side of each of these strips 3 facinginwardly. "The side wall of one of the strips D is positioned adjacent the open sideof the endstrip B, and all of the strips D, D, D, faee in the same direction. The

end of each strip D,'D, D, is adjacent to the -inwardly open side of the side strips C, C,

the partition strip 11 in each instance spacing the two adjacent springs from each other. The strip E is then positioned between the open side of the other end strip B "andthe open side of the adjacentinterior strip Thetwo closed sides of the strip E thus sp'acedthe springs in strips B and D 4 open side.

from each other and the end strips 11 of the strip E space its springs from theadjacent springs in the side strips C, C.

.lVhcn thus positioned, the various strips are cross tied by strings S, in a manner familiar to the upholstery art, both over the tops 4 of the several strips and the bottoms This cross tying of the strips by strings S, S, is suflicient to firmly unite the strips into a unitary structure A, easy to handle and transport. a

It will be noted that there is no real necessity for the use of the material 9, 10 on the top and bottom of the strips, excepting that it makes a ncater finish by bending over these portions 10, in a direction toward each other. It will also be observedthatit isnot necessary to construct the fourth side of the strip E in the particular manner shown in Figure 2, that is to say, having the two portions 12 and 13 united centrally of the side; and I have therefore shown, in Figure 4, as one modification, among others, the top wall 4 extended over to form a side wall 16, the lower edge of which will overlie the upturned portion 10 of the bottom wall 5, and may or may not be secured thereto by stitching, as preferred.

From the foregoing, it will be understood that a very considerable amount of fabric will be saved by making all of the strips, save one, with an open side; substantially an entire yard of fabric being thus saved in a mat of the size referred to, and a savin r in the cost of manufacture is thereby effected: It will also beunderstood that by making the strips with an open side, the springs may be positioned in their respective pockets very readily, by unskilled labor and without the aid of special tools or machinery.

Inthe diagrammatic illustration of Figure 8, it will be-observed that the strips D, E and B run in parallel relation, but this is not necessary, as various arrangements of strips may be made; For example, in Figure 10, the strips C, D and E are in parallel relation, and in Figure 9, the arrangement is such that all of the strips are of the same length, that is to say, six pockets having six springs, and all the strips are parallel. In this arrangement the strips will all be made like the strips B, B, and all but one will have a top, a bottom, a side wall and twoend walls, and have one open side. One strip will be provided with two side walls, similar to'the being that a plurality of strips be used, all

but one of which will be provided with an Where it is desirable to use themat A in a structure having a rounded instead of a square corner, the end spring'of one of the strips will be omitted, and the fabric of the IOU parallel against the wall 6 of the next or,

adjacent strip. In some instances, I prefer not to do this, and arrange the mat as shown in the modification, Figures 12 and 13, where the top strip 9 is substantially in extension of the top at and overlies the top 4 of the next adjacent strip, and the same is true of the bottom extension 10. This is more clear ly brought out in the enlarged view, F ig-l are 13.

In this arrangement, the edge of the end wall 7 of the end strip B, instead of being secured by stitching or tying to the fabric of 'the end strip 0, as shown at 17 in Figure 1,

overlies said fabric as shown at 18 in Figure 12. a

Various other modifications in detail will occur to those skilled in the art, all of which I desire'to be included in the scope of my in vention, so long as the mat as a whole is composed of a plurality of strips of fabric formed into a series of pockets enclosing a spring in each pocket, all of the strips, save one, having the springs exposed to view along one side.

I claim as my invention: I

1. The method of assembling a plurality of spring containing strips to form amatunit, some of said strips having a continuous top, bottom and one side wall, and one open side, and one strip having a continuous top, bottom and two sidewalls, and end walls for some of said strips, which consists in grouping the several strips with the open side of one strip against the closed side of some strips andagainst the closed ends of other strips, whereby the various springs are surrounded only by one thickness of burlap.

2. The method of making a cellular structure containing springs in a plurality of pockets, which consists in making a fabric strip folded longitudinally into substantially F rectangular form and interiorly spaced apart by fabric strips to form a plurality of pockets, witha spring in each pocket, and a plurality of fabric strips in which the fabric is folded longitudinallyto form thetop, bottom and one side only, and which is interiorly provided with spaced apart strips to form pockets, each pocket containing a spring, and assembling the closed unit and the plurality of open units with the initially open side of one strip against the closed side of the adjacent strip, whereby the various springs are surrounded only by one thickness of fabric, and securing the various strips so positioned, together, to

form the completed unit.

In a mat construction, a: plurality of spring'containing fabric strips in which the fabric is folded longitudinally to form con tinuous top, one side and bottom walls for a plurality'of pockets, partition strips connected to the top and bottom walls, a spring in each pocket, the initially open longitudinal' side of one spring strip being arranged to lie against the fabric side'of anadjacent strip, a spring containing strip comprising the top, bottom and two sidewalls of a plurality of pockets arranged tolie againstv and close the initially open side-of one of said first-mentionedstrips, and walls closing the ends of some of the strips, thefree longi tudinal margins of the top and bottom walls of one strip being connected to an adjacent strip. H

a In a mat construction, a plurality of spring containing fabric strips in which. the fabric is folded longitudinally to form continuous top, one side and bottom walls for a plurality of pockets, partition strips connected to the top and=bottom walls, a spring in each pocket, the initially open longitudinal side of one spring strip being arranged to lie against the fabric side of an adjacent strip, a spring containing strip. comprising the top, bottom and two side walls of a plu rality of pockets arranged to lie against and close the initially open side of one of said first-mentioned strips, walls closingthe ends of some of the strips, the free longitudinal margins of the top and bottom walls being inturned to extend at right angles to said top and bottom walls, and means for connecting adjacent spring strips.

5. A matcompos'ed of a plurality of fabric strips,the fabric being folded longitudinally to form a continuous top, one side and a bottom wall for a plurality of pockets, partition strips connected to the top and bottom walls, end walls for said strips, a spring in each pocket, the springs in the pockets of I longitudinal side wall of said adjoining strip and the end walls of some of the strips abutting the initially open side of adjacent pockets. i

In testimony that I'claim the foregoing as my invention I affix my'signaturethis 5th day of February, 1926. v

' JAMES L., MAOINERNEY. 

